The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the 'W2M satellite', a communication satellite developed by the agency, from French Guyana on December 20. It will be another milestone for the apex space research organisation after the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1 earlier this year.

 

Built over a period of 26 months, this 3462-kilogram spacecraft is the heaviest developed by ISRO. This satellite carries 32 Ku-band transponders for services in Europe and other parts of the globe. The satellite will be launched by Orion Launch Vehicle.

 

K.R. Sridhara Murthy, Managing Director, Antrix Corporation (ISRO's commercial arm) said the communication satellite has been built for European EADS Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), and is currently undergoing launch preparations.

 

Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a benchmarked success when the Chandrayaan-1 was successfully launched on October 22, by PSLV-C11. This success has put India in an elite lunar club of which Russia, the USA, Japan, China and European Space Agency are the members.

 

India is also planning to launch satellite 'Aditya' to study the sun by 2012. India hopes to send an astronaut into space by 2012 and a manned mission to the moon by 2020.